


Not like this

by LostSpiritWalker



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Dark Stuff, F/F, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pandemics, Surreal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:09:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23747362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostSpiritWalker/pseuds/LostSpiritWalker
Summary: It couldn't like this; not like this.They've been through hell and high water, they've saved the damned world multiple times! So why, why did it end up like this? They didn't deserve this; no one did.Not like this. No. It couldn't end like this...!
Relationships: Callie & Marie (Splatoon), Callie/Marie (Splatoon), Marie & Agent 3
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13





	Not like this

**Author's Note:**

> It's still not too late.

_Not like this. Oh please Cod, not like this._

Marie was hunched over the bed, clutching those frail weak hands that once were so lively and expressive. Her tentacles were a mess, tied into a messy bun, their hints of green colouration long since faded away. The ends are frayed and torn, caked in a grimely layer of dried ink residual; the result of scratching and clawing at one too many times.

_No. No. It couldn’t end like this. Oh why, why did it come to this?_

Callie lay on the bed, eyes closed from the exhaustion of simply staying awake. Even in rest, every breath was hard fought for, shallow and shaky. Her skin tone was pale and sickly, her ink density at levels too low to be even considered critical anymore. She had been discharging ink randomly, either in a spew of menstruation flow, or surges of vomit and bile. The doctors, whoever was left, at least, had given her a week at most. That was a week ago.

_Why? Oh Why did it come to this, Cod? Not like this, it couldn’t…!_

Marie grunted, exerting a tad of effort to bring herself up from the hunched over position. Leaning back into the chair, she allowed her head to drop, gaze snapping upwards into the stark harsh light of the hospital. She couldn’t cry anymore, but even then, weak sobs bunched up in her throat, stretching the raw flesh as her damaged body strained to cope.

She always thought it was going to end well, that perhaps, she and Callie would just retire normally, after all the fame of the Squid Sisters died down. They could just fade away, living in a small house in the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Maybe back to Calamari country, where they could live out the rest of their days, and end it all happily. Maybe she could even tell Callie how she saw her as something more, even.

Or perhaps, it would be an absolute bang. Maybe it would be a high stakes mission with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, everything on the Agents of the New Squidbeak Splatoon to come through. Maybe things wouldn’t go too well, and that was where they would go, together, giving their lives for a shot at victory.

 _But… no. Oh Cod no, not like this, not from some stupid virus._ A global pandemic, was what the authorities called it, though Marie could hardly care anymore. _Oh why, why didn’t they see the signs until it was too late?_ The healthcare system faltering within a month of the outbreak should have been serious red flags, yet no one paid it any mind. The discovery on the communal, close contact way the virus spread should have been taken seriously, yet turf wars and events still continued as per normal. The high infection, and news that everyone was susceptible to it should have seen a lockdown, yet the authorities only gave cautionary advisories, ones that no one even bothered to follow.

The first wake up call had been Gramps. He always had been a tad eccentric and jittery, so no one really paid him much mind when he began acting a little off. It had been little things, choosing to sit instead of stand, wobbling more while he walked, speaking lesser and lesser, grumbling about an annoying itch in his throat... Then he had collapsed. The squad had found him panting heavily within the shack, unconsciously and covered in sweat.

‘It’s ok, just a tad overworked’ They had nervously whispered to each other back then, as they watched Gramps in the hospital ward. The setting of the general ward soon changed to the intensity care unit, and soon they were advised to keep watch 24/7, as ‘the time was soon’.

There was nothing they could do, but watch.

He had been awake, that day. Not a word was spoken, as he just lay there, beard low and budging eyes half closed, watching them. Everyone had been there, various faces of stricken grief, or utter denial. His hands rose, weakly clasping the air, one that his granddaughters quickly stepped forwards to grab.

‘Tell Octavio I’m sorry’ he had rumbled in tones several off his usual beat, and with that, Captain Cuttlefish had breathed his last, as the single whine of the hearts monitor called out monotonously, in a long, continuous ‘beep’.

Everything had begun to unravel from there. The entire group was entrapped by feelings of defeat and loss, but none more so than the idol duo. Agent 3 had been the first to leave, quoting to finish what the Captain had wanted, though he had never appeared again. A couple of days later, Agent 4 texted the group that her parents were calling her back to the countryside, and she had to leave impromptu. Agent 8 had holed up with her foster parents, over at the Hime mansion, with regular updates from Marina stating Eight was well, but refused to talk about anything related to the situation outside. Talking of Marina, she and Pearl seemed all right, switching to working from the enormous mansion Pearl owned for their daily new broadcasts. And Sheldon… he had seemed just to disappear, mumbling something about getting back to work as his head tucked further into his shell.

And then there was them, Callie and Marie. The duo cut off all connections, opting to burrow into their shared apartment and lock up. Shreds of news found its way to the duo; of the situation outside. Speak of measures to break up crowds and events soon turned into a total lockdown, only medical and essential services remaining operational.

Then Callie had begun coughing. Coughing turned to a full blown flu. Muscle pains and weakness soon kicked in, before Marie had finally managed to drag her cousin out to see a doctor. All the money in the world was voided, the billions of cash not even yielding an inch of space for them to enter. The wait had been terrible, as Marie huddled her cousin close, pressed against the crowd struggling to enter the medical facility. She didn’t know how long they had waited, only remembering the whimpers and small noises Callie had made all the way, each step seemingly weaker than the last.

Once upon a time she had worn a mask to disguise herself, but now everywhere she looked were masked faces, as were the sounds of coughing, crying, and general suffering. But even then, she still had just a spark of hope that everything would be all right. Callie would eventually be seen by a doctor, and admitted to one of the newly vacated wards. The doctor had been intentionally vague about how such a busy place suddenly had an empty ward, though they hadn’t questioned it either. Apparently, wards were switching out every other day.

Back in the present, Marie held up her phone, covering her face from the glare of the lights. The chat group was silent, everyone falling out of touch, with the last message being Four’s farewell to the group as she packed and left the city. _57 days ago._ Marie blinked, staring at the electronical screen as silence reign around her, interrupted only by the constant pulses of the heart monitor attached to Callie. The place had once been noisy, as doctors rushed patients along the corridors of the room. Yet now, all was silent, as the condition reached a stage where even the medical centre was no longer admitting patients, and a number of doctors and nurses had too, succumbed to the virus.

She shouldn’t be here, Marie knew, but she didn’t care anymore. It seemed no one cared either. The few patients that remained in the place were dropping one after another, and the few doctors that still remained could only hope to make their ends painless, while they themselves knew their days were numbered too.

Her phone died, screen shutting off from a lack of battery. Marie dropped her hand, letting it swing freely downwards as she once more stared into the harsh lights above. _Why?_ A silent question, directed to the Cods, if there even were any. _Why? Oh Why was everything like this?_

Marie rose begrudgingly, once more returning her gaze to her cousin laying in bed. _Callie… oh Callie… not like this. It can’t end like this. Not like this._

Someone knocked on the door to the ward, causing Marie to snap her head around. Her first attempt to speak produced a wordless chortle, her beak and throat so dry that she couldn’t articulate anything sensibly. Fumbling for the cup of stale water by the bed, she dunked a beakfull, ignoring the searing sensation of swallowing liquid down her parched throat, nor the stink of the days old water as it ran down her gullet.

“C..Come in”, She called out, wiping a few drops of water off her lips with he back of her hand. _Probably one of the few doctors left, here to check on Ca—_

The door slid open, and Agent 3 walked in.

The teen was still in his agent outfit, though with several notable changes. His cape, for one, was modified to wrap around his mouth, wrapping around his neck before hanging down across his left shoulder, the character of ‘3’ still prominently displayed. The inkling now wore gloves, coloured to match his own dirty yellow, as well as high cut boots which wrapped tight around his legs. A little accessory pouch hugged his chest, slid to the back for ease of movement.

“Marie,” He greeted her simply, voice slightly muffled from the makeshift mask as he walked forwards.

“Three,” She greeted him in return, breathing softly as she squinted her eyes, trying desperately to believe this was real, not some hallucination from spending too much time alone.

Three regarded her for a moment, then cast his gaze over the bed where Callie lay, his face setting into a sad grimace. There was silence, for a moment, before something shifted in the boy’s eyes, and he returned his gaze to the still semi shocked Marie.

“…It was just the Three of us, wasn’t it?” The teen agent began, squatting down to rest on his hunches, bringing his gaze level to Marie.

“Me, you… and Callie. Three of us, saving the Great Zapfish.”

“…Good times.” The boy seemed to be smiling a sad smile, one of fondness and memories, behind his mask as he spoke. Then he sighed, shaking his head.

“…Marie… I… I’m sorry,” eyes of loss and pain regarded hers, before he set himself right and continued onwards, “You need to come with me, Marie.”

“The octarians, the octolings, they’re immune,” Three pressed on, “I’ve been talking …things, over with Octavio…many things, and they’re now taking in inklings who managed to survive the initial stages of the infection. It’s safe there, Marie.” He ended his little spew, before reaching out a hand towards the seated inkling, eyes hopeful as he did.

Marie was silent throughout, before she smiled sadly, and reached out her own hand, only to push Three’s hand away.

“I can’t, Three. Callie…” Trailing off, she turned to look at her cousin once more, slumbering in suffering.

Three twitched slightly, before he rose, giving a mumbled “oh” as he did. Out of the corner of her eye, Marie saw the boy turn to look at the bed too, as he shifted his weight around.

“Oh.” He spoke again, then was silent.

Marie didn’t know how long they remained that way, as both continued to watch Callie on the bed. The clock’s second hand ticked by, the sound suddenly making its presence known. Callie was breathing in and out, the beeping of the hearts monitor continuing its little cycle. Three shifted around from foot to foot, grinding his beak ever so slightly.

Marie felt her stomach growl, the sound filling the room as she realized that that mouthful of water she drank was probably her first ‘meal’ in days. _The hospital staff must have had ran out of food somewhere along the line, since they had delivered food daily in the past,_ her mind supplied.

“Marie,” Three spoke, drawing her attention to him. Three sounded harder, something in his tone suggesting finality.

“Marie. Callie’s… gone. There’s… there’s no one on the bed…”

The sentence hung in the air, heavy as it loomed over them all.

“Three? What are you talking about… Callie is right here…” Marie began a half smile, as she turned to look over at Callie once again.

“The hospital’s empty, no one’s left here! It’s…It’s just you, Marie…” The boy hiccuped mid speech, a few tears rolling down his cheek before he collapsed in a kneel, “There’s… there’s nothing left here… I…. I was so glad to find you but… but please…. listen… It’s over…. It’s too late anymore…”

He began crying, as hands fell to the ground, the façade finally crashing down for the young agent.

“I’ve been searching… all over! There’s … there’s no one left here…! I… I found you… so please… please…”

“Wake up… Marie… it’s just …a hallucination….”

“Please… wake up…”

Sniffles sounded, as Three tried to get himself back under control.

Marie kept her gaze on Callie the entire time, even as her mind raced. _It couldn’t be true, was it? There was no way she was able to hallucinate something as livid as Callie still being here for day upon en—_

Something painful sparked across her mind, sending throbbing pain through her head. _No, it couldn’t be true, Callie was right he—_

Again, the pain came, with scattered words and flashes of images this time. _No. No. It couldn’t end this way, it wasn’t true! There was still hope…!_

‘ ~~Miss Cuttlefish, I’m sorry, but your cousin…’ someone in a white coat had spoken to her.~~

~~The sound was ending, the action dying down. Everything seemed still. Someone had approached her.~~

~~Nurses were running around, as were orders being barked by the doctor as everyone bustled around the bed. She had watched it all quietly from the side of the room, trying to take up as little space as possible.~~

~~‘We’re losing her…!’~~

~~‘No…!’~~

~~‘Doctor! Please!’ Marie had shouted out, bursting into the corridor and calling for help.~~

~~‘…!’~~

~~‘Marie…’ Callie had spoken softly, seemingly trying to reach out to touch her before her hand fell. With a shallow breath Callie’s eyes had closed.~~

~~Marie was by the bed, holding Callie’s hand. Callie had been conscious, and the duo were exchanging encouraging smiles.~~

The pain subsides, as with the flow of disjointed images and speech. Three was here, she could feel his hands around her in an embrace as he whispered something over and over. Something about ‘it’s ok now’.

Marie fought her way out, feeling Three letting her go as she pulled herself up from the floor from a fall she didn’t know she had. Claws dug into the chair, as she struggled to get up, feeling the weakness of her muscles from the lack of food and activity over the past days. Her hands grabbed the bedsheets, slipping and pulling the entire sheet clean off the frame. Marie fumbled with the cloth, pulling it off her in a frenzy, ignoring the little voice in her head that made sense of how she was able to pull off the bedsheets if the bed itself was not empty.

_No. No. It couldn’t be true! It could end thi—_

She was up, leaning over the bed frame, supported partially by Agent 3. The bed was empty, its coverings now pulled clean off, the pillow tugged out of position. Vaguely, she registered the lack of sound in the room other than her heavy panting, the constant beeps no longer ringing in her head. A whimper sounded, it took a moment to realized that it was her.

Her nails dug into the bed, breaking the cloth and causing the sponge and filling to spew out and bubble over unto the floor. _Was… was it true then? Everything up till now…. When? When had she started her denial?_ Somewhere along the way she had refused to leave the room, despite the occupant being long gone. The staff had probably been non-existent at that stage of the pandemic, and no one really came to remove her. _So she had stayed, and just sat there, then?_

Marie raised her head, propping her chin on the mattress _. This… would explain a lot. How the flow of time seemed far and distant, how no staff ever came around again, and how… Callie had always looked the same, sleeping forever, just like the last image Marie remembered of her. Oh. Oh._

_Oh._

“Marie… We have to go… You need to eat… and staying here only increases the chances of infection…” Three spoke, his words being barely registered.

“Marie…”

Slowly, she turned, letting her body slide downwards into a slumped sitting position against the bed frame. She was shaking, trembling as she faced Three. He looked so worried, so heartbroken, yet strong in his desire to save her. _Oh._

Marie smiled.

“Until next time…” She whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> For the love of all things good, STAY AT HOME AND STAY SAFE.


End file.
